Various prior art solar energy panels and systems and devices, and the like, as well as apparatus and method of their construction in general, are found to be known, and exemplary of the U.S. prior art are the following:
Allegro, U.S. Pat. No. 4,146,014, Mar. 27, 1979 PA1 Allegro, U.S. Pat. No. 4,158,357, Jun. 19,1979 PA1 Allegro, U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,537, Sept. 4,1990
U.S. Pat. No. '014 teaches the concept of using shingles as a part of a solar heat exchange fluid system. U.S. Pat. No. '357 shows that energy panels may be distributed along a slope of a roof while serving substantially as overlapped shingles. U.S. Pat. No. '537 shows a generally barrel-shaped section of molded plastic formed of two spaced plastic sheets for concentrating more solar energy generally toward an internal conduit or passway for water or other heat exchange fluid than feasible with flat shingles.
Other solar energy system art is well known. However, no prior art has produced an effective solar system from roofing shingles competitively priced and visually commensurate with standard roofing. The use of either fluid flow systems or electrolytic solar panels on the roof in the prior art provided in general drastic departures from the conventional roof lines as appendages superimposed over roofing. Cost becomes excessive when the solar system overlies standard roofing. One problem that has prevented the shingles themselves from being an integrated part of a solar energy fluid or electrolytic system is the prior art incompatibility between the two elements and the very high cost of roofing elements such as shingles that could be used for the dual functions of roofing and heat concentration for a solar collection system.